What I really think?.....

So I'll be honest. What do I think of Rio so far? It's not too different from any other city I've been to. Cape Town comes close in terms of vibe and the friendliness of the cariocas (locals). The beach is the hub of Rio and everyone gathers there for recreation, sports,a little suntan and window shopping ;)

Is tourism sustainable here? Thomas, a Belgium friend, T.J., an American, and I were discussing this at 2am yesterday over a hamburger that wasn't cooked all the way. The favelas, or Brazil's version of the ghetto, house one out of every five Brazilians. There is usually little or no running water, sewage, or electricity and many favelas, especially the further you get from the urban centers, are rife with gang warfare. A few nights ago, there was a shooting a few blocks away. According to my friend Jana, police are corrupt in Rio. They will fight the local gangs for power and money. Still, since Lula da Silva came into office, corruption among the police has gone down, but that figure is relative since socioeconomic disparities are tangible, even in Rio.

Taking a taxi to Lapa, or the town center, I ventured into travesti territory. The transvestite sex market is huge in Rio. There are more travestis than miches (male sex workers), and female prostitutes, according to my readings. I was driving by a group of them when one lifted up her shirt to display her merchandise to the cabs! Prostitution is a steady source of income for sex workers and most of them come from the favelas in Zona Norte (northern Rio), Oeste (West) and very poors parts of the country. When Bush mandated Brazil to repudiate the sex industry, Brazil refused, since it is such a life source for many Brazilians, kind of like Mumbai's red light district, or Bankok's sex trade.

Brazil purchased a billion condoms last year to fight STD, AIDS, and other sex-related diseases. They gave them out during Carnival, and will give them out at other major events including the Pride parade. A large portion will also target sex workers. Miches are usually younger boys, 9-17, who have sex to support themselves and their families back in the favelas. They can be found 24/7 in specified cruising areas around Rio and can be armed and dangerous. Like gypsies in Europe, they can form systems around each other and many have pimps that expoit them. It's like playing Russian Roulette once you enter this circle.

Lets get a little personal now. First, I want to say that I have bugbites and it's irritating me as a write. Second, I'm so anxious of how my paper is going to turn out. When I visit Georgetown in May, I want to hand the Dean a copy of my research and say, "this is why you should accept me!" I was waitlisted for their Master's of Science in Foreign Service program. At first, I shook it off, and then after visiting their website, I found out that out of 800-1000 applicant (more this year) they accept 90. Their faculty includes Victor Cha, a researcher I based papers of North/South Korea relations on and Sen. Chuck Hagel just joined the team also! It would be phenomenal to experience the small classes with world-class diplomats and top scholars.

Two days ago, I was accepted into the Unveristy of Southern California's school of public policy and development. The program is ranked in the top seven nationally and student popluation is very diverse, with 38 percent of the students coming from underrepresented backgrounds. They have more foreign students then any other Westcoast university since LA serves as a hub for students coming from the Pacific Rim and Latin America. Also, America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) goes to USC ;) If I choose to go there in the fall, I'm going to contact Congressman Honda to intern with him and/or the Center for Asian Pacific Conflict Resolution.

What am I doing now? I'm going out with Ben and T.J. to Ipanema after breakfast and spending the day reading. BOOOO! Chillax David, you're in Rio.